AT LAST: Osborne FINALLY admits Government are making preparations for a Brexit

“And the fact that it is very similar to the central estimate of the OECD and the London School of Economics I think is telling.”

He went on: “I think it’s important in this debate to look at the weight of the evidence.

“Of course there is going to be claim and counter claim.

“But when it comes to the economic cost of leaving the EU versus the potential benefits, you have to weigh up that whilst you have a small number of individuals, long associated with the campaign to leave the EU, on one side of the argument and, on the other side of the argument, the vast bulk of economic opinion in this country, every major financial institution in this country, every international financial organisation and a host of external observers of the British economy.

“I know in the interests of balance sometimes equal airtime is given to both arguments.

“But if you look at the sheer weight of opinion, it is overwhelmingly the case that people who look at the case for leaving the EU come to the conclusion it would make the country poorer and would make the individuals in the country poorer too.”